2018 Nissan Altima: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
225 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The 2013–2015 Altima is the centre of Nissan's continuously variable transmission problem. The fifth-generation car launched with a Jatco CVT that overheated, shuddered, went into limp mode and, at worst, failed outright; the 2013 model year carries more than 2,300 complaints and scores 23. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: a year the record favours — 225 complaints, score 83/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Nissan's CVT problem: the Altima, Sentra, Rogue and Pathfinder years to avoid, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 225 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 28.12
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I am currently experiencing CVT failure as of I have filed a case with the nissan consumer affairs unit, case number 56846043. I was advised that even though there was a class action suit in 2022 for CVT issues, my CVT Warranty Extension expired on 12/09/2024 for this class action suit. I purchased the car in May of 2025. The dealership failed to mention the class action suit or there were problems with the transmis…
So I have the 2.5L QR25DE engine with the exact exhaust failure from campaign PC717, and I need Goodwill Assistance because the part failed identically.
Transmission stopped working on me in the highway cvt code that comes up is P17f0 was in the highway going 45 mph then dropped 5 mph very dangerous. Almost crashed
Recalls: 2 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V654000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. |
| 20V315000 | Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,500
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Unknown Or Other60 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes49 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System37 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags36 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Power Train23 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance15 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
Other Nissan Altima years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Nissan Altima?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (60 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Nissan Altima a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 83/100, computed from 225 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Nissan Altima's most common problem?
60 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Nissan Altima sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Nissan Altima cost to run per year?
About $4,824 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,120 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Nissan Altima have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Nissan Altima, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/09/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Nissan Altima really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 225 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 225 NHTSA complaints on record (28.1/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (29.8/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems